The aim of this thesis is to develop a methodology for obtaining mass properties of a vehicle using specific test rig. Investigated mass properties are the mass, location of center of gravity and the inertia tensor. Accurate measurement of mass properties of vehicles is crucial for vehicle dynamics research. The test rig consists of a frame on which the vehicle is fixed and which is suspended from the ceiling of the laboratory using steel cables. Mass and location of center of gravity are measured using the data from the test rig in equilibrium position and basic static equations. Inertia tensor is measured using the data from dynamical response of the system. For this purpose an identification routine which employs prediction error method is developed using the built&ndash / in functions from the System Identification Toolbox of MATLAB&reg / . The experiment was also simulated using Simmechanics Toolbox of MATLAB&reg / . Identification code is verified using the results of the experiment simulations for various cases.

Sheet metal hydroforming(flexforming) is a process generally used in the manufacturing of aerospace parts in which a rubber diaphragm forms the sheet on a die with the help pressurized fluid and by this aspect it is different from the conventional stamping process. Some defects occur in the parts that are manufactured by this method and they are not different from the general sheet metal forming defects. Wrinkling, tearing and springback are among those defects. Variety of parts makes difficult to encounter these defects arising the detailed investigation of this process. In this work, the flexforming process was modeled by finite element method in order to investigate the operation windows of the problem. Various two and three-dimensional models were established with and without diaphragm, using explicit and implicit approach for time integration and using solid and shell elements for the blank. Using the material Aluminum 2024-T3 alclad sheet alloy, three basic experiments were conducted: Bending of a straight flange specimen, bending of a contoured flange specimen and bulging of a circular specimen. By these experiments the effects of blank thickness, die bend radius and forming pressure have been investigated. Experimental results were compared with finite element results to verify the computational models. Then, three selected aerospace sheet parts were analyzed and success of the model in the real life applications is proved.

Traditionally Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are designed using correlation based approaches like Kern method and Bell-Delaware method. With the advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, it is now possible to design small heat exchangers using CFD. In this thesis, shell-and-tube heat exchangers are modeled and numerically analyzed using a commercial finite volume package. The modeled heat exchangers are relatively small, have single shell and tube passes. The leakage effects are not taken into account in the design process. Therefore, there is no leakage from baffle orifices and no gap between baffles and the shell. This study is focused on shell side flow phenomena. First, only shell side is modeled and shell side heat transfer and flow characteristics are analyzed with a series of CFD simulations. Various turbulence models are tried for the first and second order discretization schemes using different mesh densities. CFD predictions of the shell side pressure drop and the heat transfer coefficient are obtained and compared with correlation based method results. After selecting the best modeling approach, the sensitivity of the results to the flow rate, the baffle spacing and baffle cut height are investigated. Then, a simple double pipe heat exchanger is modeled. For the double pipe heat exchanger, both the shell (annulus) side and the tube side are modeled. Last, analyses are performed for a full shell-and-tube heat exchanger model. For that last model, a small laminar educational heat exchanger setup is used. The results are compared with the available experimental results obtained from the setup. Overall, it is observed that the flow and temperature fields obtained from CFD simulations can provide valuable information about the parts of the heat exchanger design that need improvement. The correlation based approaches may indicate the existence of a weakness in design, but CFD simulations can also pin point the source and the location of the weakness.

Rivets are widely used as a means of fastening in airframe construction industry. There are various types of riveted joints on an aircraft fuselage or on a helicopter body. Among the other types of fasteners riveted joints are preferred in such applications due to / their permanence after installation and their economical advantages. In a riveted joint, it is known that residual stresses are present as a result of the installation process. Furthermore, during the flight of an aircraft, the fuselage is loaded in one cycle and such cycles are repeated throughout the service life. As a result, the panels and the rivets are subjected to fatigue type loading. The integrity of the joint must be maintained against this combination of service loads and the residual stresses. Hence, the riveting process parameters which influence the residual stresses are utmost critical in terms of fatigue life of the hole body. In this study it is aimed to obtain an accurate numerical model of a single-lap riveted joint which is widely used in airframes. 2-D axisymmetrical and 3-D numerical models are generated using commercial finite element code ABAQUS/CAE and subsequent parametric studies are carried out on these models. The Results of both models are compared with those found in the literature. Clearance between hole and rivet shank is selected as the primary parameter to be inspected. The effects of hole clearance on the final residual stress field are examined on 2-D and 3D models. Furthermore, a through the thickness, crack on the inner panel which is initiated after installation is modeled. The crack is perpendicular to the direction of loading. It is placed to the residual tensile stress zone that surrounds the rivet hole. Hence, the effects of residual stresses are also taken into account. For a riveted joint subjected to fatigue loading, such a macroscopic crack could eventually form. In this thesis, stress intensity factors (SIF&rsquo / s) for this crack are calculated for various parameters such as clearance and crack length. These can be utilized in a subsequent fatigue crack growth analysis as the initial values or they can be used in a fracture analysis, to predict unstable crack growth due to overload (i.e. crack linking).

In this thesis, a hybrid-stress finite element is developed for nonuniform Timoshenko beams. The element stiffness matrix is obtained by assuming a stress field only. Since element boundaries are simply the element nodes, a displacement assumption is not necessary. Geometric and mass stiffness matrices are obtained via equilibrium and kinematics of deformation equations which are derived in the beam arbitrary cross-section. Utilizing this method eliminates the displacement assumption for the geometric and mass stiffness matrices. The element has six degrees of freedom at each node. Axial, flexural and torsional effects are considered. The torsional and distortional warping effects are omitted. Deformations due to shear is also taken into account. Finally, some sample problems are solved with the element and results are compared with the solutions in the literature and commercial finite element programs (i.e. MSC/NASTRAN&reg / ).

ABSTRACT SIMULATION OF FLOW TRANSIENTS IN LIQUID PIPELINE SYSTEMS Ko&ccedil / , Gen&ccedil / er M.S., Department of Mechanical Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. O. Cahit Eralp November 2007, 142 pages In liquid pipeline systems, transient flow is the major cause of pipeline damages. Transient flow is a situation where the pressure and flow rate in the pipeline rapidly changes with time. Flow transients are also known as surge and Waterhammer which originates from the hammering sound of the water in the taps or valves. In liquid pipelines, preliminary design parameters are chosen for steady state operations, but a transient check is always necessary. There are various types of transient flow situations such as valve closures, pump trips and flow oscillations. During a transient flow, pressure inside the pipe may increase or decrease in an unexpected way that cannot be foreseen by a steady state analysis. Flow transients should be considered by a complete procedure that simulates possible transient flow scenarios and by the obtained results, precautions should be taken. There are different computational methods that can be used to solve and simulate flow transients in computer environment. All computational methods utilize basic v flow equations which are continuity and momentum equations. These equations are nonlinear differential equations and some mathematical tools are necessary to make these equations linear. In this thesis a computer program is coded that utilizes &ldquo / Method of Characteristics&rdquo / which is a numerical method in solving partial differential equations. In pipeline hydraulics, two partial differential equations, continuity and momentum equations are solved together, in order to obtain the pressure and flow rate values in the pipeline, during transient flow. In this thesis, MATLAB 7.1 is used as the programming language and obtained code is converted to a C# language to be able to integrate the core of the program with a user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI). The Computer program is verified for different scenarios with the available real pipeline data and results of various reputable agencies. The output of the computer program is the tabulated pressure and flow rate values according to time indexes and graphical representations of these values. There are also prompts for users warning about possible dangerous operation modes of the pipeline components.

Heat pipe is a passive two phase device capable of transferring large rates of heat with a minimal temperature drop. It is a sealed tube with a wick structure lined in it and with a working fluid inside the tube. It consists of three parts: an evaporator, a condenser and an adiabatic section. The heat pipes are widely used in electronics cooling and spacecraft applications. Although they can transfer large rate of heat in a short range, they have operating limits, namely: the capillary limit, the viscous limit, the entrainment limit, the sonic limit and the boiling limit. These limits determine the heat transfer capacity of the heat pipe. The properties of the working fluid, the structure of the wick, the orientation of the pipe, the length and the diameter of the tube etc. are the parameters that affect the limits. In this study, an analytical 1-D heat pipe model is formed and a computer code is prepared in order to analyze the effects of the parameters on the heat transfer capacity of a heat pipe. Water, Ammonia and Mercury are investigated as working fluids for different operating temperature ranges. The software is tested for a typical application for each working fluid.

Self-excited chatter vibration in machining is one of the most important limitations on utilizing the increasing productivity of modern machine tools. In order to predict stable depth of cuts at high cutting speeds, the stability lobe diagram for a spindle-tool holder-tool combination must be developed. The frequency response function (FRF) of the system must be known for analytical prediction of the stability lobe diagrams. When the flexibility of the workpiece is important, the workpiece itself should be included in the system model by considering the variation of its dynamics at different stages of the machining process. In this thesis, an exact structural modification method is used to find the frequency response functions of the workpiece to be machined at every stage of the machining process. In order to obtain the system matrices and the modal parameters of the original structure, a commercial finite element program MSC. Marc&copy / is used. The frequency response functions of workpiece are calculated by using the computer program developed in this thesis, and are compared with the ones found by MSC. Marc&copy / . The stability lobe diagram of the system is obtained by combining the FRFs of the tool with those of the workpiece. The effects of the dynamic of the workpiece on the stability lobe diagrams are studied extensively by using the results of case studies presented in this thesis. In order to increase productivity, minimum chatter-free machining times are also calculated for different cases. For this purpose the effects of the different radial depth of cuts and different cutting strategies on the stability and the machining time are examined with various case studies.

The most basic property of a muscle is its ability to contract and produce force when stimulated. A muscle is mainly composed of cells consisting of myofibrils with its basic unit called as a sarcomere. A sarcomere is composed of actin and myosin responsible for the muscle contraction. The Hill-type muscle model is the most commonly used model to simulate the behavior of a muscle. A muscle can produce its maximum force at isometric conditions. The level of force produced in the muscle is determined by the the frequency of the signals from the CNS. The force production is also a function of force-muscle current velocity and force-muscle current length relations. A muscle contains two types of sensors / i.e. muscle spindle and golgi tendon organ, which give rise to the feedback control of the muscle length and muscle contraction velocity. In this study a 1-D model of a muscle is formed step by step in Simulink. In the models the muscle mechanics has been investigated and the results are compared with the previous works.

The objective of this study is to determine stress intensity factors (SIFs) for a crack in a radially graded FGM layer on a substrate. Functionally graded coating with an edge crack perpendicular to the interface and a homogeneous substrate are bonded together. In order to make the problem analytically tractable, geometry is modeled as an FGM strip attached to a homogeneous layer. Introducing the elastic foundation underneath the homogeneous layer, an FGM coating on a thin walled cylinder can be modeled. At first, governing equations are obtained from stress displacement and equilibrium equations. Then using an assumed form of solution in terms of Fourier Transforms for displacements and applying the boundary conditions, a singular integral equation is obtained for the mode-I problem. Solving this singular integral equation numerically, stress intensity factors are obtained as functions of crack length, strip thicknesses and inhomogeneity parameter.